


Kingdom by the Sea

by Mysticmataki



Series: Out of the Storm [1]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Mercenary days, Origin Story, Pre Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 22:35:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19935631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysticmataki/pseuds/Mysticmataki
Summary: Lucio has been living under his newly assumed name for almost a year now, living the life of a mercenary and traveling through the world hunting down and fighting whoever he needed to. He originally balks at prospect of taking a break to visit a secluded town for some festival, but upon arriving into town his attitude quickly changes.A young woman captures his attention, and he decides quickly that maybe coming here was a good idea.(Origin Story for the eventual Apprentice, Female OC)





	Kingdom by the Sea

Lucio had cheered dramatically for everyone to hear when the leader of the band of mercenaries he had recently joined announced that they were riding out. The prospect of another fight sent chills down his spine and his mind began to race with all of the different areas they could be heading to and of the bounty they would receive for their prowess in battle. The instant that the woman had declared that they were going towards the sea to attend a festival in the town of Izar instead he groaned with just as much emphasis, completely let down and frankly annoyed by what she had said.

He was tired of sitting around and effectively doing nothing, and heading to a small town for some annual festival where they paid respects to some god or goddess or being didn’t interest him in any way. He wasn’t exactly sensitive to the customs of others, especially since he knew that the deity that his clan existed and had immense power. But deep down Lucio knew that he wouldn’t be able to last more than a week in the region they were in without a band to join. He was vain and selfish but he wasn’t fully an idiot, he knew what he needed to do to survive.

As they rode on out, he listened in on the conversations the others were having. Some recalled memories of it the year prior or even further, and he had to admit that hearing people express excitement at the prospect of returning piqued his interest. There were tales of dancing late into the night, of food and drink that seemed limitless, and beaches where the most sordid of activities took place. Festivals meant alcohol to drink, pockets to pick, and countless people looking for a quick screw. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.  


Two days later they had arrived at the town, and Lucio was surprised at its location. At least a day’s ride from another city, they had created a sizable community off the beaten path. The troop had ridden through bare plains, weaved through dense forests, and after navigating down some steep switchbacks they had arrived at a clearing a quarter mile away from the town. The field was empty, but their leader had smiled happily, declaring they had gotten the best spot as others wouldn’t start coming in for the next few days. 

While the festival would last nearly a week, she explained that it was best to get there in advance to stock up on anything they might need before the crowds overran them. The energy through the air was palpable, but the woman was adamant that they not overrun the town and most importantly that they were on their best behavior. She warned that she wouldn’t hesitate to strike down anyone who threatened her relationship with the town leaders, and everyone knew she was serious.

It was only Lucio who stood in the back and rolled his eyes as she gave her speech.  
He wasn’t going to listen to her ‘meaningless’ warnings, and ‘empty’ threats; he was determined to have the most uproarious time after the toil of fighting for the past three weeks. Setting up his tent and his tent alone quickly, he waited until everyone started working on other things and sneaked off towards the town, ready to get the party started. As he walked towards the town he couldn’t help but notice that it was a steep climb to get towards it, something that would make it hard to attack in battle. As he continued his ascent he regretted not bringing his horse, but as the noise grew and the smell of the sea became stronger his excitement grew. 

Finally making his way to the top of the hill he looked down upon the town and couldn’t help but be impressed. It was much larger than he expected, built into the cliff as it curved down towards the bay and towards the beach that he couldn’t see but knew had to be there. The road was made of cobblestone, smooth pieces of rock that were polished by their time in the sea and the buildings sturdy, made of a strong wood and with intricate and delicate detailing. He didn’t care for that part, but he couldn’t help but wonder what type of people lived there. He heard voices speak in a language he only knew a few words of but he didn’t care and pushed forward, making his way down to what he assumed would be the center of the city. 

The multiple stalls and people bustling around proved his suspicion. People were setting up booths, decorating them with driftwood and rocks, shells of all kinds. They speckled the posts, hung from mobiles, and fishing net was being used to create barriers from some to ward off people from approaching from the sides. In the center was a huge pool of water, clear and pristine in its simple circle although a bit boring but Lucio scanned the grounds, wondering what he should approach first. The people setting up a food stand? No, there wouldn’t be any anyways. One of the booths had that several boxes around it to pilfer through? Too many people busy with those objects to risk it. He decided to continued to through the town and find a place where he could eat and begin his drinking and flirtation but in the midst of one final scan he froze. 

At one of the booths stood a young woman, tall, maybe just a fraction above him, and lithe and with a smile unlike any he had seen in months. She was talking animatedly with the older woman manning it, leaning onto the table and gesturing widely as she pointed to whatever was behind the counter and beckoning it towards her. He stood still where he was and watched her like a hawk, taking in her every move. She was elegant in her gestures but there was a certain wildness to her, a freedom in her expression and movements that made her entirely unusual compared to the companions he had over the past year. 

He was surprised by how drawn to her he was, to be honest. Her brown hair was wavy from the by the constant breeze of the sea and salt from the water and fell past her shoulders, random golden highlights from time spent in the sun spread throughout it. She had appeared thin from further away, and while he noticed that she was the closer he got he realized she had a fair build of muscle on her, legs long and strong. She was tanned from the constant sun but he could tell that she had to have been naturally pale by the slight burn on her shoulders that were left exposed. He couldn’t stop staring, he almost would have been embarrassed if he realized what he was doing. 

But above all he couldn’t stop taking in the features of her face. He skirted around the various booths trying to stay out of sight as he took her in from every angle. Sharp cheekbones, a clear complexion, strong jawline, long and straight nose and lips he wanted to take between his. Her eyes seemed to draw him in, a deep shade of green vivid and vibrant like an emerald that someone had paid his boss in once. After months of dirty men, women, anyone just looking for a simple release, something to lower their stress from the constant fighting he found himself truly captured by what he saw in front of him. 

The voice of his fellow mercenary rang in his head about abandoned beaches and his lips curled in delight as he imagined what the two of them could do.

She let out a laugh out of nowhere that he could finally hear as he now was directly across from her, looking at an empty stall. It was genuine and he could tell by her tone that she was delighted by whatever was happening, and when he turned to look at her she was handing over a bottle with something shimmery inside it as the other woman turned around and then returned with a large bundle of fresh lavender and a small bundle of driftwood. Taking a deep breath in of the calming flowers she smiled and gave a short wave before she picked up the driftwood and immediately took off and around the booth, Lucio’s view of her completely blocked. 

Whipping around the booth to find her, his eyes widened in shock as he realized that she had disappeared in an instant. She had been walking off fast, but he hadn’t realized she was that quick and that he was left with no leads. Looking down at the ground he grumbled to his self before he snapped his fingers. She was obviously a local, the other woman was a local, the other woman could tell him where to find her. 

Easy. 

He approached the booth as smooth as he could, flashing his most charming grin to the woman as he could muster at that moment. He had heard a bit of their conversation- nothing he could understand but something he recognized from the region and gave a quick, “Hello,” his accent (aside from his looks) clearly giving away the fact he wasn’t from here. 

The woman rose an eyebrow at him before tapping her chin and responding with a quick “Hello” of her own before asking, “Where are you from?” Lucio’s eyes widened as he tried to process what she said, his grasp of this language only at the barest of phrases or words, before she clucked her tongue and nodded.  
  
“South, yes? Snowy area?” she asked in his own language, her control of the language definitely at the beginner level as her grammar and accent was off but much better than his of theirs.  
  
“Ah, yes. You speak it?” he said, interest apparent as he leaned forward.  
  
“A little. Lots of visitors this time of year. You are early.”  
  
He wasn’t in the mood for chit chat but knew he’d have to keep it up to get to what he really wanted to ask. “Ah yes, I wanted to get a look at the town before the festival. Never been to this city before.”  
  
“Glad you visit! Can I help?  
  
Ah there it was. He smiled as he looked in the general direction that the other woman had walked off before turning back and asking, “The woman who was just here. Do you know where I could find her?”  
  
That question seemed to spark something in the woman and her face changed from opening to protective in an instant. “Why?”  
  
Lucio was taken aback by the lack of answer and the sharp tone the woman had asked and flustered. He couldn’t well just answer “She’s beautiful” or the more straight to the point “I want to sleep with her” and he threw on a tense smile. “I just would like to meet her. She bought a lot from you, I’d like to hear about your product.”  
  
“I can tell you,” she said, not budging an inch. She looked down to a child that Lucio hadn’t noticed sitting behind the counter playing with a mobile of sorts that mimicked the others around but unique in its own way. He eyed the kid who looked back to him and then his mother, nodding back to her as he started to deliberately prod at it and hold certain shells.  
  
“I’d like um, an unbiased review?” he finally attempted before the woman turned from him.  
  
“Leave her alone. She’ll be around,” she said as she shot a look over her shoulder that said “Get out” and Lucio turned heel immediately, cursing under his breath about how the woman barely knew his language as he walked away and looked down the street that she had taken off down leaving him in the dust. He groaned before his lips curled into a darker smile.  
  
He always loved a good hunt.  
  
It took him a little longer than he expected to track her down. He didn’t have much to go off of, just the smell of lavender and the tiny petals that had follow at random times through the journey and the occasional whiff of driftwood which, unfortunately for him, was heavily prevalent through the town. It wasn’t until he ended up at an alley where the scent grew stronger and he found a few strands long brown hair on the ground that he felt fully confident. After cutting through it he turned to the left and had to cover his eyes as the sun nearly blinded him. This street was shorter and led to an edge of the cliff that was fenced off, still leaving a view of the ocean uninhibited by any building. Right at the edge of that there was a two story house like the others, but a small sign hung above the door that had a simple design on it. He walked up and looked into the window to find various trinkets and bottles in there with a counter in the back and even more items resting on shelves behind it along with various cupboards of sorts.  
  
“A-poh-thee-car-y” he muttered as he tried to sound the word out, satisfied with his pronunciation even though he had absolutely no idea what it meant. Straightening his posture, he opened the door and swung it a tad more forcefully than he intended to, several chimes ringing out above his head as he stepped in and looked around. There were so many things in it that he couldn’t identify, and there was a strong smell of the sea coming in from the various open windows but he ignored those and looked directly to the purple that he caught in his eye. A bundle of lavender and driftwood sat on the counter and he smiled smugly.  
  
Bingo.  
  
As he stood there trying to guess what this store was a voice called out from the second story and down the stairs. “Be right there!” Ah, that voice was music to his ears, far unlike any he’d heard in months. Friendly, soft, bright…  
  
He was thrown out of his thoughts when he heard the first creak of the stairs and immediately leaned onto the counter in a pose that he knew accentuated his body, ready to turn on the charm despite the obvious language barrier. Body language was enough, a practiced smile usually got him what he wanted. When she finally made her way fully down and greeted him with a smile he had to clear his throat. She had changed, now in a more revealing loose white top in which one sleeve had dropped down her arm, leaving more of her neck and chest exposed especially since her hair had been pulled back into a loose braide. It wasn’t expected, and he openly checked her out as she looked at him.  
  
“Hello! How can I help you?” she said as she walked towards him and he just smiled and gestured around the shop.  
  
“Hello,” he got out, proud of how he sounded and her smile softened a bit as she moved behind the counter and dropped down behind it, a shuffling noise coming out before she stood up and placed a large map down on it. “Been expecting you,” she said as she unfurled it, and while he was confused she diverted his attention back down to it. He looked down at it as she tapped on a star on it in the location they were at. “My home,” she said before she pointed lower on the map, in the general area his tribe was from before she asked, “You?”  
  
Lucio nodded and pointed to the area that his family usually moved in and she clapped her hands once as she rolled up the map and put it away.  
  
“Thank you! Makes it easier when we can talk instead of gesture. And thankfully it’s something I know.”  
  
“What? You speak my language?” he asked, shocked by that simple fact and even more by how seemingly fluent she was, especially compared to the woman from before. Her accent wasn’t the strongest, but she knew the words and how they worked.  
  
“Yup! A decent amount of people from that area come up here, usually as mercenaries which you obviously are. Your language is so hard to learn though, I’m glad my mother taught me when I was young.”  
  
“You’ve known it a long time?”  
  
“Well, yah I guess. This festival has been going on decades, centuries, it’s the backbone of this town. People have been visiting a long time and so we’ve learned how to communicate. We had to.”  
  
“Wow,” was all he could say and she let out a small laugh at that.  
  
“A bit unusual for it to be spoken in this region, I know.”  
  
“Well, my language is one of the best. It’s beautiful, only the smartest know it.” He turned a bit pompous as he puffed his chest out, the opportunity to brag never escaping him.  
  
“It definitely is hard to learn,” she acquiesced.  
  
“Your language is nice too,” he said, going back to her as he tried again to flatter. “Different from anything I’ve heard. I could only get through a few basic words.”  
  
“It’s a pretty drastic jump from the region next to us to us. It’s like yours I guess, not many speak it outside of here, and we speak a really specific and old form of it.”  
  
“Old?”  
  
She shrugged once, her mouth lopsided as she did so. “People move away and it mixes with other languages and changes. We just try to preserve ours. I think it’s the same for you, you don’t use a lot of the grammar of the more settled areas. Were you nomads?”  
  
Lucio was incredibly uncomfortable by how much this woman was seemingly able to get from just a few shared words but he nodded. “We had our ancestral home to return to, but we spent a lot of time roaming.”

“That sounds amazing. I haven’t been out of the town too often, I would love to see more of the world. Don’t know if that’s possible for me that.”  
  
“It’s your life you know. You can do whatever you want, no one can hold you back besides yourself. That’s what I believe, no, know.”  
  
She laughed as she shook her head but one of the mobiles behind her started to sway and she let out a soft ‘ah’. Turning to it, she tapped one shell three times and another one twice. The more he looked at it he realized that it was a copy of the one that the annoying child had messed with before he left. After a moment she held onto the larger one and closed her eyes before she released it a second later and turned back to Lucio, a confused and slightly turned off look on his face.  
  
“What was that?”  
  
She shrugged again. “Town secret.”  
  
“You can’t tell me?” he asked, curiosity now taking over for anything else he was feeling as he leaned over and stared at the various mobiles intrigued.  
  
“Let’s just say I knew you were coming because of these.”  
  
“What does that mean?” he had raised his voice at that before he shut his mouth and averted his eyes, a small pout forming.  
  
She covered her hand with her mouth and giggled, entirely amused by the blush spreading across the face of this Southerner who obviously had no idea what he was standing in and who he was talking to. Crossing her arms and leaning across the counter, she placed her chin in her hand and smiled fondly. “Would you believe me if I said magic?”  
  
“Magic?” Lucio asked, eyebrows rising as he turned and looked to her, his expression probably far more eager than he would want to show.  
  
She nodded and pointed at the rows of mobiles hanging above her head, all unique but all reminiscent of the others he saw hanging from the various stalls he had walked past on his way to find her. “Most households here have one and can use it to communicate with me. They just have to tap the signal to activate the connection and then send their message.”  
  
He was confused again, “How do you send a message? Tapping? Everyone knows the signals and you can understand them?”  
  
“Well, there’s a signal to activate your mobile. Then you just have to hold onto the shell and well, think what you need to send. It comes in in words or paraphrased, but I can tell what’s happening and then send a signal back. “I’m coming”, “Come to me”, “Yes”, “No”, things of that nature. What I just sent back though was “All is ok”.”  
  
“What did they ask you?”  
  
She turned to him and eyed him head to toe before smirking. “They told me “Stranger approaches” earlier, and seemed a little scared since they were confused by you. They just asked me “Find you?” and I let them know I was alright. I don’t sense that you have malicious intent.”  
  
Lucio stood there still before he tilted his head completely to the side, his brain processing what he’d just hear. “So you’re saying that people can send you messages without words? And you get them? And then they understand what you say back?” He thoroughly did not understand what she had just said and her simple nod almost infuriated him. “This doesn’t make any sense!”  
  
“Magic usually doesn’t to those who aren’t practiced in it. But I’ve just created a system for people to contact me in general or in dire emergencies. I’m rather busy, so whatever energy is radiating from the mobile helps me determine which one to check first. If one makes my ears ring I know to check that first. Some just feel inquisitive, others seem like a simple emotion of gratitude, others might just be a child learning how to use it and being excited.”  
  
“Why do you have so many? Couldn’t you only have one?”  
  
She shook her head, “Too overwhelming. Hard to go through only one channel and take in everything.”  
  
She didn’t give him anything more but her last statement confused him immensely. It fell silent again before he stood up and shouted. “Wait! That’s why you said you were expecting me!”  
  
She laughed and nodded in delight as she pushed herself up from the counter and walked back around the front to stand by him. “Yes, although I wasn’t expecting a Southerner to stop by! Used to burlier people from the west to arrive this early.”  
  
“Oh, they’re here. I just snuck away from them.”  
  
“Ooooh, won’t Alissandre be upset when she realizes?”  
  
He leaned back on the counter, propping himself up with both elbows as he gave a quick wave of his hand. “She doesn’t scare me. And like I said, a person can do whatever they want, it’s their life. So I do whatever I want.”  
  
“Like track down a poor unsuspecting woman.”  
  
It was his turn to laugh then and let out a smile of his own, “Exactly.”  
  
“Well, you’re more than welcome to browse if you’d like and you can ask me any questions you might have, but I have to prepare for the week so I’ll be upstairs.” She went to turn around but Lucio quickly spoke.  
  
“What’s this?” he asked as he pointed at an empty bottle on the counter and she just laughed.  
  
“An empty bottle.”  
  
He pouted again before his eyes roamed around and fell on a drawer that had fragments of shells in them. “This?”  
  
“Crushed up shells, as you can tell. But to explain why they’re here- I use them in various potions and antidotes. They also are good for basic spell rituals.”  
  
He nodded and his eyes scanned again and she just crossed her arms and smiled at him. She wasn’t going to lie, he was incredibly handsome with his sharp jaw and cheekbones, blonde tussled hair, and obviously fit body from what she could tell by his unbuttoned blouse under his vest. A bit overeager, and definitely not as mysterious as he probably thought he was, but charming all the least. But what truly drew her in were his eyes. She had never seen anything like those silver eyes that had stared at her so deeply and appraisingly before turning shocked and wondrous as she explained anything to him. They were unlike any she had seen before and she felt like she could get lost in them, and smiled to herself as she thought that that’s probably what he wanted.  
  
She wasn’t a fool, she knew exactly what his intentions were when she came down and saw him posed and ready to seduce. She didn’t mind it, but she was busy and couldn’t lean too far into her desire to flirt back with this stranger. Straightening up and walking towards him, she slid close to his side as he hastily looked for something before turning to her as she encroached in his space. “I know what you’re doing. And while I find it cute and could continue to watch you do this I do have work to get done for the festival.”  
  
He turned to her when he felt her approach, but he couldn’t hide how he was a little surprised at how close he was before he put on his best smile. “Well, I wouldn’t want to bother you.”  
  
“Not a bother at all, like I said you’re not too bad to look at,” she winked at that and before he could respond she continued, “But I do have a lot to finish.”  
  
“I guess this is my cue to leave then,” he said but he didn’t feel rejected at all. If anything this made the chase more interesting, a game of cat and mouse now. She had openly admitted she found him attractive, which, of course she would, but it was still good to know he had an easy shot.  
  
She stepped back a bit and put her hand out, “By the way, I’m Usoa. Welcome to Izar.”  
  
He went to respond. He had it planned out, take her hand as if to shake it but then bring it to his lips, whispering Lucio across her skin before he left a lingering kiss, something that always worked in his favor. But this time it was different.  
  
When their hands touched there was an instant spark and their hands tightened around the other’s as a powerful surge ran through them. It lasted only a second, but the two of them stood there still after it ended as they both looked at the other eye to eye.  
  
“What was that!” he exclaimed, completely confused by what had occurred. The feeling had been unlike any sensation he had felt before, a rush of pure energy that he couldn’t even begin to describe.  
  
“I don’t, I don’t know,” Usoa whispered as she looked at her hand and back to his. He noticed that she seemed incredibly tense though as she took her hand in her own and muttered, “My magic’s never acted like that before. I haven’t, I haven’t.” She stopped there and shook her head quickly as she dropped her hands and smiled back at him  
  
“Can we do it again?”  
  
“I don’t think we can,” she said as she reached out for his hand and laced her fingers between his. Her hand seemed to fit perfectly in his and while he felt different for a reason he couldn’t pin down he didn’t feel the power from before a second time. She looked up at him and gave a lopsided smile, disappointment apparent in her eyes. “Doesn’t look like it.”  
  
“Well,” he said straightening his posture as their hands unclasped. “We should figure out how to make it happen again.”  
  
Her smile softened at that, and he felt a bit uncomfortable at how much he wanted to feel that again but she just nodded. “I’d like that too.”  
  
“So,” he said, now trying to act nonchalant as he looked at his hand, “When will we see each other next this week?”  
  
“So confident,” she practically cooed as she slid closer to him again. “Well, you’ll definitely see me this week, I can promise you that.” He rose an eyebrow quizzically and her smile turned a little more flirtatious as she leaned on her elbows on her counter and looked at him. His hand barely grazed her arm from how she positioned herself but she seemed ignorant to it and kept speaking. “Be here for the opening of the festival at sunset, get to the fountain early to get a good spot before it crowds up, and meet me there two hours later.” She stood up again and reached back to her hair, pulling at the piece of cloth that had been used to pull her hair back. As it fell down her shoulders, covering her neck she flipped it over to him, it dangling there as it swung back and forth slowly.  
  
He reached out and took it before looking back to her. “If you don’t see me you can use this to find me. Might be easier to track if you have something of mine, hmm?” she said with a wink as she drew back and went to head to the stairs.  
  
He gave her a devilish smile at that, absolutely turned on by how she invited him to hunt her down. “You’re almost making this too easy.”  
  
She gave him a smile that matched his and he wanted to reach for her, sweep everything off the counter and pin her down to it. “Maybe I want to make sure you find me.” He took in a sharp breath then. She was interested in the chase, that much was apparent.  
  
“I will see you soon, Usoa,” he said as he played with her ribbon.  
  
“See you soon,” she started before pausing. “Might help if you give me your name.”  
  
He thought back and realized that the spark had distracted him and he hadn’t been able to give her his. “Lucio.”  
  
He’d said it with pride but was taken aback by the confused look she had given him. “Well, Lucio, I’ll be waiting.” She had said his name with a twinge of dubiety but the look was gone just as quick as it had appeared. She walked backwards, eyes still on him as she looked him over once more. “I’m sure you know where the door is,” she said with a final wave as she began to ascend the stairs.  
  
When she was out of sight Lucio straightened up and walked out, the door closing behind him and locking almost immediately, probably by some spell she had been able to conjure up. Looking down at the fabric intertwined through his fingers, he smirked as he brought it to his nose and took a deep breath in. Salt, sweat, an underlying note of lavender and the distinct scent of the sea.  
  
Clenching the cloth in his fist, he slid it into his pocket as he smiled. Looks like the festival was going to be fun after all.   
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> To clarify, the way the first woman is written is to try and portray a non-user trying to get by in a conversation. Those who speak more than one and had to learn one without someone to constantly practice with know. 
> 
> Also, the mobile system is pretty intricate, but tied directly to Usoa’s (Catherine’s) powers. They will be explained in a further chapter. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the story of Usoa, eventually Catherine (why did she change her name you ask? Find out soon!), and how she came to be who she is now!


End file.
